(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, August 28, 2014)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported increased U.S. rail traffic for the week ending August 23, 2014 with 300,505 total carloads, up 3 percent compared with the same week last year. Total U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 265,761 units, up 3.4 percent compared with the same week last year. Total combined U.S. weekly rail traffic was 566,266 carloads and intermodal units, up 3.2 percent compared with the same week last year.

Eight of 10 of the carload commodity groups posted increases compared with the same week in 2013, including petroleum and petroleum products with 16,396 carloads, up 28.4 percent; grain with 18,721 carloads, up 17.6 percent; and nonmetallic minerals with 40,279 carloads, up 10.5 percent. The commodities that posted a decrease were coal with 115,050 carloads, down 3.9 percent; and chemicals with 30,003 carloads, down 0.1 percent.

For the first 34 weeks of 2014, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 9,826,641 carloads, up 3.7 percent compared with the same point last year, and 8,730,830 intermodal units, up 5.7 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 34 weeks of 2014 was 18,557,471 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.6 percent from last year.

Canadian railroads reported 78,883 carloads for the week, down 0.4 percent, and 61,303 intermodal units, up 8.7 percent compared with the same week in 2013. For the first 34 weeks of 2014, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,682,698 carloads, up 1.5 percent from the same point last year, and 1,927,004 intermodal units, up 7 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported 15,544 carloads for the week, down 4.9 percent compared with the same week last year, and 11,549 intermodal units, up 1.7 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 34 weeks of 2014 was 533,138 carloads, up 1.7 percent from the same point last year, and 348,797 intermodal units, up 3.6 percent from last year.

Combined North American rail volume for the first 34 weeks of 2014 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 13,042,477 carloads, up 3.1 percent compared with the same point last year, and 11,006,631 intermodal containers and trailers, up 5.8 percent compared with last year.